A “peer” in the world of mental health and substance abuse lingo means a fellow person who has also been diagnosed with a mental health or substance abuse disorder. Peers come together on their own in self-help support groups (both in the local communities and online) to help one another with emotional support and the knowledge that can only come from having been there themselves.
Benedict Carey writing in today’s New York Times details the impact of peers who go one step farther and act as peer counselors, helping people with mental disorders or substance abuse disorders with training that exceeds that of another layperson patient.
Peer counselors are an important component of America’s fragmented mental health care system, filling in the many gaps (especially in the public mental health system). These gaps are especially prevalent in the U.S. because there are usually two different public systems: one that treat mental disorders and one that treats substance abuse disorders. Few public community mental health systems have integrated these two components in systematic, comprehensive “dual diagnosis” programs.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 18 May 2013
|
I really believe i peer support because i am a certified peer specialist at the huntsville al and i am duel diagnoised since being there as a client and now a staff member it has made a diffrence for them and for me
Thank you for this positive article.
As an longterm mh activist/advocate in Australia, I am proud to be one such “peer” having lived, loved & worked with too many people touched directly and indirectly by mental ill health & suicide.
As one of the fortunate few, I have been a recipient of great mh care & support & have been able to turn my vulnerability & family history into a strength & now operate a business that works closely with workplaces to create mental health friendly, resilient & supportive environments using the lived experience to role model recovery, hope & promise.
I have a psych history as long as my arm, my late mother had bipolar and was in and out of psych hospitals having ect whilst I was a young child. Some how she managed to hold down a senior executives role in the 70′s & 80′s whilst battling her demons.
As a child living in a dysfunctional broken family, I developed anxiety , depression & yes at the tender age of 7 started having my first thoughts of suicide. It would be at 18 that I actually tried to take my life on several occasions.
Today my mental healthiness is very much a work in progress, one I need to nurture. The hardest part is now seeing & watching my young teenage daughter going through her turbulent journey with panic disorder/anxiety/depression and having her thinking about suicide. What has been a blessing is that being more informed and open has helped remove the stigma and talking about this openly, getting help we have needed earlier just that more reassuring that somehow we will get through this painful challenging time.
In giving a little of ourselves to others, I have recieved so any unexpected gifts & courage I never knew I possessed. Encouraging other, creating environments, giving people permission by “coming out” allows others to share their journey’s and experiences. This emotive ness, reality, showing that we are all human, and that talking about mental illness and suicide isn’t a weakness or flaw in character
Helps some peoplet who don’t understand to reconsider our humaness. As humans we will all experience adversity,pain, loss, grief, love, joy, stress, frustration, anger, being fragile, vulnerable, have an injury or illness…it’s all ok, it’s part of our journey. There is nothing to be ashamed of. We just need courage and compassion and learn how to have these brave conversations with those we love & work with, parking our attitudes privately to one side & focussing on the person we may be concerned about. Peers can offer so much hope & help reduce the stigma, isolation, shame and educate society and health service providers about what these complex human issues are about, what works & doesn’t work.
This is a local major public health issue that won’t go away. We are or will be all touched by this one way or another so we need to one together from all perspectives, angels & expertise to reach out and make a difference to people affected in our communities.
Dr. John Grohol, you exaplined well and stress out how important Peer counselors are in America’s fragmented mental health care system.
I completely stand by this sentiment Dr Grohol! Sometimes the best people to give support or advice are those who have experienced an issue themselves and come out of it stronger on the other end. For all readers, check out http://www.studentspill.com, where supporters respond to peers (in a college community) and can offer similar support as you are suggesting!